Zacks Investment Management Has $1.97 Million Holdings in Kemper Co. (NYSE:KMPR)

Zacks Investment Management lifted its position in Kemper Co. (NYSE:KMPR) by 5.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 29,621 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,619 shares during the quarter. Zacks Investment Management’s holdings in Kemper were worth $1,968,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Kemper by 141.9% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 600 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 352 shares during the period. Clean Yield Group bought a new stake in shares of Kemper in the 4th quarter worth about $45,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Kemper by 32.2% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 715 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust bought a new position in Kemper during the 4th quarter valued at about $63,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Kemper in the third quarter valued at about $82,000. 86.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Kemper Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of KMPR opened at $56.77 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $64.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.63 billion, a PE ratio of 11.56 and a beta of 1.05. Kemper Co. has a 12-month low of $53.57 and a 12-month high of $73.01.

Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The insurance provider reported $1.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.40. Kemper had a net margin of 6.85% and a return on equity of 14.11%. As a group, research analysts predict that Kemper Co. will post 6.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Kemper Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were paid a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.25%. This is an increase from Kemper’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. Kemper’s dividend payout ratio is 26.07%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on KMPR. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kemper from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Raymond James increased their target price on Kemper from $75.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 26th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Kemper from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kemper currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $81.60.

Kemper Company Profile

Kemper Corporation, a diversified insurance holding company, engages in the provision of insurance products to individuals and businesses in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Specialty Property & Casualty Insurance, Preferred Property & Casualty Insurance, and Life & Health Insurance.